Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he is creating a new barracks task force that will review and approve a plan for housing junior enlisted troops, typically called unaccompanied housing.
“In crucial ways, big and small, the Department of War is going to have your back like never before, not just in the fight, but alongside your family, alongside your welfare, the basics, like barracks, you deserve the best,” Hegseth told a group of new recruits at Naval Air Station Oceana.
Within 30 days, the task force will create a department-wide investment plan, which will be approved by the Secretary of Defense. There is more than $1 billion in the federal spending bill the Trump administration calls the Big Beautiful Bill to upgrade junior housing, which Hegseth described as a down payment.
Hegseth blamed the Biden administration for not taking action after a 2023 General Accountability Office report showed mold and other issues at barracks throughout the system, along with billions of dollars in deferred maintenance.
“Our warriors continue to live in substandard housing. Every war fighter of our Joint Force deserves housing that is clean, comfortable and safe. It's actually really simple,” Hegseth said.
A plan to privatize all housing for junior enlisted in Hampton Roads has been in the works for more than a year. There is $380 million earmarked for the plan in the proposed defense bill. A final vote on the bill awaits lawmakers in Congress after the government shutdown ends.
Last year, the Marines conducted a force-wide assessment of their barracks and found substandard conditions. Some Marines were moved to new quarters and money was allocated to upgrade facilities. The Navy ordered a similar assessment after Navy Secretary John Phelan ordered sailors to be moved to new quarters in Guam.
Earlier in the year, the Army diverted more than $1 billion from its facilities, sustainment, restoration and modernization account to repair and maintain barracks in support of the southern border mission.
Hegseth arrived by plane from Washington D.C. to officiate over the enlistment ceremony for 60 recruits from several branches of service and the Virginia Army and Air National Guard. It was held in a hangar at Naval Air Station Oceana, with a backdrop of two F/A 18s.
“You are the real 1%. Forget about what society tells you about celebrities and well-known folks in the elites,” Hegseth said.
He boasted about record recruiting and retention numbers, though the latest figures are not available during the government shutdown.
Marine recruit Jackson Sales said he joined the Marines at 18 years old to follow his brother.
“He's a staff sergeant. Been in for about six years now, and I've always looked up to him since we were kids,” he said.
He plans to be an avionics technician.
“I can't speak for most people. I know why I joined. I joined because going through high school, it just wasn't really my thing,” Sales said. “I wanted to work with my hands.”
